Parents and students thank Kyrene board for school-closure process, urge sustained community engagement
Summary
A seventh-grade student and a parent thanked the Kyrene board for its handling of recent school-closure decisions and urged continued community involvement; speakers described the process as emotionally difficult and emphasized the importance of listening to families.
Two public speakers addressed the Kyrene Governing Board during public comment on Jan. 13, thanking the board for its work on recent school-closure decisions and urging continued community engagement.
Seventh-grader Sabrina Pratt, who identified herself as a student at Pueblo Middle School and former Mariposa student, said she came to "thank you for everything you have done in this process regarding school closures," praising the district for allowing students and parents to speak early in the public process and describing the support she received for accommodations related to hearing loss. Pratt said the community must remain "intact" through upcoming transitions and thanked staff, the long-range planning committee, and school teams for their work.
Catherine Peters, who said she was not at the Dec. 16 meeting, thanked board members for their time and acknowledged the emotional toll of the process, describing the community as "still in mourning" and urging parents to stay actively engaged in meetings and advocacy. Peters encouraged continued participation as the district consolidates remaining schools.
Neither speaker proposed a formal board action; the board did not take policy votes directly tied to the comments during this meeting. Board policy and state statute limit board discussion of items not on the agenda, though staff follow-up may be requested.
